Showrunner quits The Walking Dead

Frank Darabont, the creator, executive producer and director of US cable hit The Walking Dead, is stepping down as showrunner of the series.

The zombie series, yet to air in Australia is now in production on its upcoming second season for AMC.

The news is even more surprising given that Darabont was on hand for Walking Dead‘s Comic-Con panel last week alongside fellow executive producers Robert Kirkman, on whose graphic novel the series is based, and Gale Anne Hurd.

There is talk that Darabont, who is said to have never quite adjusted to the daily grind of producing a TV series, may stay on as a consultant.

Season 2 of Walking Dead is slated to premiere Oct. 17th in the US.

Fox International Channels has also issued a Press Release which claims the second season will reach FOX audiences in 122 countries, including Australia.

There is some speculation that FIC could launch a pay television channel in Australia, led by The Walking Dead. Earlier this year TV Tonight readers nominated it as the international show they most wanted to see added to Australian television.

“The Walking Dead audience wants to see this show live,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, SVP of Scripted Programming for FIC. “The first season became a hyped global water cooler event and we feel obligated to bring the show to international viewers right after its US launch.”

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7 Comments:

I think no one put it on here because the people who make it wanted quite a lot of money for it. More than what any channel wanted to pay. It’s not that they didn’t want it. I think they just felt it was overpriced.

It’s good. So good. The very fact that no Australian channel out of, what, 15 Freeview and 100+ Pay TV, has picked it up is *exactly* why people watch through other means. And rightfully so. Screw you, TV networks. Bring on Season 2.

I, too, have already seen season 1 of The Walking Dead, courtesy of Amazon US. Since Austn TV channels haven’t bothered to show the first season yet, I won’t be waiting for season 2 to hit our screens. As soon as the second season is released on DVD, I’ll be heading to Amazon again.

It’s ridiculous that season 2 will soon hit US channels, but the show hasn’t even started over here. I thought the days where Austn TV languished months behind the US were in the past. Obviously not.

Having also seen the first series and watching the writers issues they’ve been having and also reading many interviews in which Darabont expressed trouble with the day to day role of running a show, I think it’s a good idea. He is better served coming in as a director/writer on key episodes like his excellent work in the pilot and then leaving the arc and character direction stuff to others.